Sera knew that she could never leave the valley, but maybe Dain could be convinced to stay.
A part of her wanted him to leave, for him to escape Elam’s vengeance and live the life of his dreams, but another desperate part needed him to stay. Her mother had warned her of this. Had warned her that there was a future for the two of them, but it was fragile, fleeting, balanced on a razor’s edge. The future she saw wouldn’t be easy. It would have joy, great joy, but heartache and suffering as well, and her mother wouldn’t say more.
While Dain and Jin fished, Sera’s defenses wore down. She had to know how he felt about her once and for all. If he truly wanted her, she would fight for the possibility not just to have him, but to keep him.
Sera had just finished cleaning the morning’s bowls and spoons when a knock rang out on the cabin door. She stopped her work, set the dampened towel aside to dry, and opened the door to admit Master Ginoor.
The heavy-set elf stepped into the cabin and then peered all around inside. The weaponsmith’s freshly washed face contrasted with the sooty handprints on his leather apron.
“My Princess,” he said, bowing to her. “Is the human around? The champion?”
“No mastersmith, he and Jin are out fishing, up by the clear pool just above the falls. I can take you to them, if you would like,” she said.
“No need for that, Princess. I have finished with the work and I’m certain he won’t mind if I leave it with you.” The weaponsmith stood up straight and placed a long, rectangular package at the center of the table, next to a vase of fresh flowers. With another respectful bow, he backed out the door and drew it closed behind him.
Curious, Sera approached the package to study it. Ginoor had generously wrapped it in a bold yellow cloth and tied it with a purple bow. In an open envelope, tucked under the thin bow, hung a handwritten note. Unable to resist, she decided to read it.
An excellent work, sir, completed precisely as directed, the smith had written.
Temptation to peek inside the package was getting the best of her when she heard Dain and Jin speaking outside. As was his habit, Dain had each of them scrub up before entering.
“Mother,” Jin cried as she burst into the cabin. “We caught a lot of fish. Look at them.”
Jin held up a rope stringer full of fat, wriggling trout. Her thin arms trembled and strained under the weight of them, but she grinned widely, beaming with pride at her morning’s catch.
“Well, Dain caught most of them,” Jin continued.
“You caught the biggest, Jin,” Dain said as he stepped up beside the girl. He slid a protective hand onto her shoulder.
Sera put her hands on her hips and smiled down at her daughter. “That is a lot of fish. We may need uncle Tarol up here to help us eat them all,” she said and then glanced at the table. “Master Ginoor brought that up for you, Dain.”
Dain crossed to the table and read the note, then took the package and presented it to Jin.
“For you,” he said. “Open it carefully.”
Gingerly, Jin removed the bow then placed the gift on the table. She unwrapped the yellow cloth, to reveal a long oak box. A small brass latch held it closed. Jin lifted the latch and then opened the lid. She smiled and her eyes lit up, excitement dancing there.
“It is so pretty, Dain,” Jin said. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Though I don’t know if I’ve ever heard one referred to as ‘pretty,’” Dain said, chuckling under his breath. “Show it to your mother.”
Jin turned and held out a thin, wicked-looking rapier in both hands. Sera had never seen a weapon like this. Instead of the traditional bright, gleaming blade, the narrow sword was black like dull obsidian. Nothing reflected from it, the flat black seemed to drink up all light. A solid steel cup, forged deep blue and adorned with runes, protected the bearer’s hand, and stamped into the thin blade, next to the hilt, was a single Elvish word. Quickly.
The sight turned Sera’s happy thoughts and plans to bitter ash.
“Jin, please step outside for a moment will you?” she asked.
Up until now, Sera thought Dain was teaching her the sword as a game, an idle way to pass the time. She never really allowed herself to consider that Jin would one day carry a weapon. She didn’t want this for her daughter. Jin deserved a life of peace. She had already seen too much for one so young.
“I can keep it, right, mother?” Jin said, waiting expectantly. Her pale, blue eyes were full of hope.
“I need to discuss this with Dain. Now please go.” She tried to mask her feelings but her stern voice betrayed them.
Without asking if she could take the sword, Jin bolted from the room. Sera spotted her through the window, slashing and trimming the lush ferns outside as soon as she cleared the porch.
Dain stood, watching her, waiting for her to speak first. The faintest of smiles danced on his mouth. He must not have noticed her tone.
“Jin does not need a sword. She is just a little girl. My people do not allow children to have weapons,” Sera said. She fought to control her roiling emotions and remain calm.
“She’s been through too much to be a little girl any longer,” Dain replied softly.
“Jin needs to have as normal a childhood as possible. A sword is no way to provide that. I just want her to be a little girl.” Her voice rose with each syllable despite her best efforts. Dain came a few steps closer.
“She lives here, in this tiny cabin, an unwanted child of two peoples. One side wants to kill her, and the other has turned both of you into outcasts. Sera…Jin was never going to have a normal childhood.”
“We are not outcasts,” she said, his words twisting her gut.
“Of course you are. I notice how no one speaks to either of you. No one comes here, to this place. Jace, your own brother, refuses to speak to you directly. They’ve left you all alone. Why else would you spend all day with me, a human?”
“We are not outcasts,” she said again between clenched teeth, “and Jin doesn’t need a sword.”
“Haldrin, her uncle, tried to kill her,” Dain said, pressing on. His tone was insistent, not unkind, but instead of comfort his gentleness only brought Sera more pain. “More of her father’s people will try again. As long as she is alive, her life is in danger. The rapier will give her a way to protect herself. Jin seems tough on the outside, but deep down, she’s afraid. But fear is sensible. Fear can protect us if we use it well. She knows the danger. Knows her enemies. The blade will give her a measure of comfort and confidence that she can protect herself. And it is an excellent blade, I made certain of that.”
His words fed her anger. How could he stay so calm? Didn’t he understand?
“You…are not her father. I am her mother, and I alone will decide what’s best for Jin. She does not need a sword. Take it back,” Sera said, looking him in the eyes. A spark of hurt, then an answering one of anger flashed there.
“I will not. It was a gift. Do with it as you will,” he said. He stood for a moment staring at her in silence, as if struggling to say more, before moving to the door. He paused, turning back to her. His expression was shuttered. “If you have nothing further to say, Princess, I will continue to instruct her on the sword’s use for tonight. Tomorrow morning I will be leaving.”
Sera felt fear grip her heart as the door slammed shut. She rubbed at her temples with her fingertips and her eyes welled up. This was not how today was supposed to go.
Dain watched the soldiers return. Jace, assigned command of the raid, led them past the little cabin and down into Teran just after first light. None had spoken. The group hadn’t taken horses and had been gone for only four days, so he knew their destination hadn’t been far. They couldn’t have made it all the way up to the old road from here. Trouble had come to their own lands, and from the soldier’s expressions, hanging heads and sagging shoulders, Dain guessed the raid’s outcome.
He had risen early and saddled Boon to leave. The horse stood loaded down
with his gear. Yesterday, he had purchased a second horse to carry extra supplies along with his winnings. With the wood elf army returning in defeat, now was the perfect time to ride away. Boon agreed. He stomped impatiently, swatting his long tail at a few hungry flies. Dain tied another pack in place then saw Tarol running up the path from Teran.
“She’s inside with Jin. And I’m not here.” Dain advised the wood elf before he could even speak.
Tarol nodded slightly, a confused look on his face, and raced past, disappearing into the cabin. Moments later he, Sera, and Jin emerged in a panic. Jin clutched the boxed rapier tight against her chest, eyes wide, as Tarol carried her.
Sera paused as she passed by. Her mouth was a thin line and her eyes held none of their usual glimmer.
“Thank you, paladin, for helping us.” The formality of her tone cut him, though he knew he’d given her nothing but the same cold courtesy the evening before. “And good luck to you. I hope you find the peace you’re searching for.” She spoke with her face turned down and away from him. With that, she spun on her heels and continued down the dirt path to Teran’s entrance after her brother and daughter.
Dain tried to continue with his preparations, mind buzzing and heart starting up what was promising to be a steady ache. He distracted himself by thinking on the returning army. He could guess what happened. Some enemy, most likely the golden elves or orcs had entered the wood elf forests. King Teldrain had mentioned that it happened now and again. Jace had been sent to drive them back. But the enemy put up a stiffer fight than the wood elves anticipated. Arrogance, Jace’s no doubt, had cost lives. Worse, in his haste to retreat he had probably left an easy trail for his enemies to follow.
A trail leading to Teran.
All of which meant that Dain should be packing faster. Sera had made herself clear. He no longer had a place here.
He swung up into Boon’s saddle and guided the big warhorse down the dirt path toward the city entrance. He unrolled a hand-drawn map he had cobbled together from descriptions of the surrounding country. If he continued beyond the entrance to Teran for another twelve miles then branched off on a trail to the west, he could circle well away from the golden elf territory and be out of the valley and into Arctanon in three days. Then, in another month or so, he could be at the base of the Spines, where he planned to build his home.
He stopped the horses at the city’s cavernous entrance and looked at the two guards stationed there. News of the failed raid must have already reached them. He could sense the heightened tension. A steady but orderly line of people was forming to descend into the city.
“Cree, what news?” he called to one of the guards. Each of the regular guards had been eager to introduce themselves after he won the tournament and most spoke at least a little Common.
“Champion, I know little,” Cree called back. “King Teldrain has summoned everyone down into the city to prepare. A vast golden elf army is expected within the week.”
“Did the raid pass this way?” Dain asked.
“Yes, as did Prince Tarol and Princess Sera. The raid had many injured,” Cree said. As he finished speaking, four more guards emerged from below. They fanned out from the entrance.
“Are you staying to fight with us, champion?” one of the newcomers asked, hope writ clear in his eyes.
Dain ignored the question. He had his gold, more than enough for his new home at the mountain’s edge. He tried to imagine those green meadows, the gentle streams, the growing cattle he could own. A quiet life, a simple one, all within his grasp now.
A lonely life.
A life where Jin and Sera’s fates were unknown.
Sera’s future would be a return to the slaver’s shackles, or a quick death on a sharp sword at best. Jin would face death for certain. According to Sera, the Golden didn’t allow half-breeds to live.
“I’m dismounting to look down at the city,” Dain said in warning. The guards were on edge and he wanted no misunderstandings. They watched him but remained at their posts while he walked around the cave entrance and continued to the canyon rim. From there he saw Teran’s bridges and ladders overrun with frightened wood elves. Soldiers and civilians alike scurried about like ants whose hive had been disturbed. Children clutched at their mothers and fathers.
What would the Golden do to this beautiful city? How many wood elves would they slaughter or take into slavery? Teldrain should be working on an evacuation, but the wood elves had nowhere else to go. Arctanon and Ghent on the west, mountains infested with orcs on the east, and a vast ocean to the south. They had a few outlying villages, he knew, but these too would fall. As a people the wood elves would no longer exist. He watched for a moment longer then returned to his waiting horses.
“Cree, what do you do with the horses?” he asked.
“Horses?” the guard replied.
“Yes, how do you get them down into the city?” Dain asked.
“There is another tunnel three miles down from here. It’s larger and not so steep, horses are led down into the city from there,” Cree said.
“Champion?” It was one of the newer guards who addressed him now. “I have orders to report to the larger tunnel and double the guard there. I can take your mounts down if you wish. I’ll see that they are cared for.”
Teran was most assuredly doomed. Dain looked to the heavens, sighed, and made his decision.
Cursing himself for an idiot, he stripped his gear off the two horses and handed the reins over to the waiting wood elf.
“Thanks,” he said as the guard led Boon and the pack animal away. Dain took hold of his bags and drew upon the Light to increase his own strength as he carried the bulky load into the city. Emerging from the long dark walk, he found a nearby rope, lashed it to his packs, lowered them to the level below, and started working his way across the maze of bridges and ladders. Every boat on the river looked full, some dangerously overloaded, so he walked along the riverfront. Twice he asked for directions—luckily finding wood elves who spoke Common—before finally catching sight of his destination.
He tensed as he approached the massive castle. The concealed archers would be especially alert, given the news and heightened activity above. Their eyes and arrows would be on him. Although nervous about going further without an escort or even an invitation, Dain continued on. The enchanted outer doors remained open, and he entered without hesitation.
On the other side, a wood elf guard wordlessly led him through the gardens and on into the interior structure. Had he been expected?
Again, Dain found himself in the large, empty hall. Though it was not so empty as before.
The hall now held a dozen wood elves, including the royal family. A broad, cloth map lay spread out on a table in the room’s center, each corner held down by a smooth brown stone. King Teldrain leaned over the map’s center and a nearby soldier placed a black marker where he pointed. Tarol and Jace stood to their father’s left, following his gaze. Sera and her mother, Queen Selasa, spoke to a group of white-robed elves well away from the map. Two more elves, clad in green and black metallic armor, studied the map opposite Teldrain.
The conversations all died off when the door closed behind him. Each set of eyes turned in his direction.
Uncomfortable with the attention, Dain dropped into his knight’s salute on one knee. The unforgiving stone floor was hard beneath the bone of his kneecap. He took a breath and exhaled silently.
“King Teldrain, I offer my services as a paladin to your kingdom,” he said.
Jace responded by drawing a dagger and starting around the table toward him. Anger twisted his features into a sharp sneer. Teldrain grabbed his son’s shoulder, halting his progress. Jace yelled in Elvish and spat at Dain without ever shifting his eyes from him. Teldrain responded, first by jerking his son around to face him and then answering, also in Elvish. He violently shook the enraged prince with both arms. Jace’s eyes shifted from Dain to his father. Teldrain held him fast. No one spoke. Dain doubted whether
anyone breathed.
Jace yielded first, finally looking down and away from Teldrain. The king released him and he stalked off by himself, away from the other elves.
Teldrain turned his tired eyes to Dain.
“Your service is accepted, champion. Please…see the situation before us,” he gestured to the map.
Dain regained his feet and joined the group at the king’s side, but took care to keep his back turned away from Jace.
“King Elam has led the golden elf army into our lands. Normally, the Golden would never be able to find us, but this time, he’s using his strongest mages and their tracking spells, along with a talisman, to locate us. We have defeated invasions like this before. Usually by getting the Golden lost and then slowly bleeding them dry. But this is different. This time he will find the city—his path leads straight toward it. Two nights ago, Jace led a raid to try and scatter their troops and, despite some initial success, Elam’s men regrouped and counterattacked. We have, at best, a week before he arrives at our doorstep,” Teldrain said.
Dain studied the map in silence for several minutes. He didn’t like what he saw.
“Are these troop estimates accurate?” he asked.
“These are not estimates, but actual counts. Our shapeshifted spies are quite good,” the king answered. There was a hint of pride in his voice. “We have many capable fighters, but we do not have enough to stop an invasion of this size. He has three soldiers for every one of ours, and the spellcasters are the true power of his army. Each of them is worth dozens of soldiers; he commands more than a hundred.”
“How good are your own mages?”
“They are very good at healing and growing things. They can throw fire and lighting and we have many shapeshifters, as well. In war, though, the golden elves are our superior, there is no denying it. We cannot match their destructive power. We’ve never wished to,” the king finished, a bitter note in his voice.
“What is the talisman that is leading them here? Is there any way to disrupt it and lead them away?”
Kingdom's Forge: Book 01 - Paladin's Redemption Page 21